In these stressful times many people are finding enjoyment in raising Backyard Chickens. People like organic farmers wanting extra income, pensioners, families and those who want to grow their own top quality eggs and chicken meat. You can also discover the enjoyment of keeping Backyard Chickens. A backyard chicken coop was once considered a necessity and most families would have a small flock of chickens that they would raise. These birds supplied the family with fresh meat and eggs that could help them stretch their available food dollars, not so different to what is happening now with the global economy as food prices soar. Extra eggs and young chicks can also be sold and add some more money to the family budget, Having a few Backyard Chickens is also a super project for children to add to their pocket money and learn responsibility.
In the middle to latter half of the 20th century, people began to purchase more eggs and meat at supermarkets and commercial chicken farmers gradually took over much of the egg and poultry market and a backyard chicken coop has became a faded memory. However a small core group of people has carried on promoting the use of chickens for backyards. Today the addition of a small chicken flock is finding it's way back into many backyards, it's fun to keep backyard chickens, it's green and eco-friendly and teaches kids great family values.
Backyard Chickens require very space in which to roam and even people with small yards should consider raising a flock of New Hampshire Reds, Rhode Island Reds, Delawares, or Golden Comets. All these breeds of backyard chickens are known for quick maturity and egg production begins at the ages of 18-24 weeks.
You will have no insect problems when you have a few Backyard Chickens. Chickens love to scavenge for food and will peck and scratch the ground, and hunt amongst the leaves and brush to find bugs and worms. They keep insect counts low in your backyard as they love discovering goodies to eat that would have otherwise eaten your plants.
Even your backyard chicken droppings are of value and can be used for your own flower and vegetable garden, or sold to others who are keen to put this efficient manure to work. Backyard chicken manure is one of the best products for improving soil and will increase the yield of any vegetable patch. Because it is could burn your plants due to it's high nitrogen count, it should be added to your compost heap and composted and aged before you use it or you will burn any plant that it touches. Keeping chickens in your backyard goes well with having a small vegetable garden, your backyard chickens will eat all your scraps and peelings and enhance the soil of the vegetable patch. It's all a part an organic cycle.
